Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Adam and Eve and Adam

Cinema | March 18th, 2015

Craig Zobel’s ‘Z for Zachariah’By Greg Carlson

Craig Zobel’s film adaptation of “Z for Zachariah” is so loosely based on the book of the same name that fans of the novel will puzzle over many of the radical changes from page to screen.

Written by Robert Leslie Conly under his pen name Robert C. O’Brien, “Z for Zachariah” was completed by the author’s wife and daughter following Conly’s death in 1973. Sometimes unfairly lumped in with other more recent young adult dystopian fiction that has made the jump to cinema, “Z for Zachariah” is quieter and more contemplative than “The Giver” (1993), “The Hunger Games” (2008), “The Maze Runner” (2009) and “Divergent” (2011).

Zobel, working from a script by Nissar Modi, reimagines the Adam/Eve allegory as a love triangle, adding a third character absent in the book.

Margot Robbie is the ponderously named Ann Burden, a preacher’s daughter who appears to be the only human survivor of some unnamed catastrophe. Ann and her dog inhabit the family farm, doing the best they can to survive in a verdant valley somehow spared from the deadly radiation that has apparently settled over the rest of the world.

One day, Ann encounters scientist John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and both are surprised to discover another living person. Loomis and Ann bond partially over the delight and relief that comes from simple human companionship, and Zobel does an excellent job of heightening the sexual tension as the two grow closer.

Reviewers of the novel remarked on several themes that have been retained by the filmmaker; chief among them is the sharp contrast between man of science Loomis, who engineers all kinds of improvements to the operation of the farm, and woman of faith Ann, whose religious beliefs stand in the way of destroying the church her father built (Loomis wants to use the wood to fashion a waterwheel).

The introduction of Caleb (Chris Pine) effectively disintegrates the movie’s Edenic considerations and, as argued by Bilge Ebiri, “turns a moody, absorbing portrait of a compromised relationship into something more schematic and melodramatic.”

Zobel is so good with his actors that some viewers may appreciate the application of the triangle trope.

Zobel also offers icebox talk regarding unspoken dimensions of Ann’s position between the two men, including implications addressing both age and race. The impact of Caleb on Ann and Loomis is modulated by Zobel to include the possibility that the new visitor might be a dangerous encroacher whose motives are hidden. Caleb’s presence causes the viewer to ponder how we might act if we were in Ann’s situation. Zobel shifts his own explorations of gender into different territory than the original text: in the novel, Ann flees Loomis for a nearby cave.

Shot by Tim Orr in gorgeous outdoor locations in New Zealand on a modest budget, “Z for Zachariah” adds another reason to watch the career of the talented moviemaker. Matthew Munn’s production design and Ken Turner’s art direction excel in describing a real sense of place.

Robbie, Ejiofor and Pine layer their characters with subtleties sometimes missing from the inevitable conflicts that attend the final actions of the story. Zobel, however, cagily holds back one key piece of visual information at the film’s climax, and the choice renders some ambiguity in a moment that might otherwise have been heavy-handed.

“Z for Zachariah” premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and will be released theatrically later this year.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comNorth Dakota communities will join a “nationwide day of defiance” against authoritarianism and President Donald Trump’s policies on Saturday, June 14. A range of "No Kings" events…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA syndrome is defined as a group of signs and symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition and any complex of symptoms of an…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com As we continue to deal with the ongoing horrorshow of racism, misogyny and transphobia embraced by the current administration, films like “Sally” can serve as an important reminder that…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

North Dakota play about mental health launches Midwest tour in AugustBy Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com A new one-act play inspired by patients buried in the Old Cemetery at the Jamestown State Hospital will tour festivals in…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…